All Talk and No Action

Earlier this year, my mom got herself a Facebook account and started spreading the word for stray dog  adoptions.

It's been one hell of an emotional ride for our family. Baring a Pomeranian, we have always had strays (INDog/Pariahs) as pets. Hence, the attachment to their cause.

Nothing matches the elation of seeing a cute, little pup adopted. I have written about this here and here

However, long before strays can come anywhere, close to, being considered for adoption, they have to spend endless days doing rounds of rescue shelters and animal hospitals. Most of these shelters and care centres house grown up and often, injured dogs. The little pups are tossed from centre to centre, depending on availability of space, and are easy preys to infections and diseases. Some even meet untimely deaths because rescue centres are trigger happy butcher houses.

Anyway, so, rescue centres are oh so-not-happening!

Here, foster homes/families play a very crucial role. We have found many families in Mumbai and elsewhere who house pups till we find adoptive homes for them. Generally, these families take turns to care for pups and/or kittens. This way, the kids live in a safe and clean environment and have better chances of survival and finding permanent homes.

And, it is a cakewalk for the foster family. Some milk. Few bread crumbs. Maybe, some khichdi. Crushed Parle G. Oh and yeah, some potty cleaning too.

But that's about it. Do this and be assured to get enthralled by all the attention you will ever receive from a tiny mass of fur. Unlimited, tax free entertainment.

So, the long and short of it is : If you or anyone you know, would like to offer your home for fostering, I will be indebted. Forever.

If you are in Mumbai/Pune/Delhi/Bangalore/Chennai/Hyderabad and/or have friends in these cities who can help with fostering stray pups, please write to me.

Prior experience with animals is not a pre-requisite. Right intent is. You will be counseled and well assisted to help you care for the pup. Also, lack of funds should not pose a problem. Donations for the pup's daily expenses will be raised.

 These pups are a month old and are being cared for by a family in Mumbai.

  

In the past few months, Bangalore and Hyderabad have attained a dirty reputation for killing off street dogs in a quest to make the cities cleaner and more livable.

Many animal shelters in these cities perform surgeries without administering any anesthesia to dogs (which is highlighted by the videos in the above links), some shelters chop off vital body parts and the innards and sell them in open market, while many others just brutally kill these dogs and throw away the bodies in open grounds.

For the life of me, I cannot understand what it will take for human beings to understand the unwarranted pain they inflict on lower beings.

I will never ever understand how amazingly barbaric human beings can be with mute animals, who, cannot protect themselves and for most part have no intentions whatsoever to harm humans.

And lest you think this is just about India or about dogs. NO. It is about human beings everywhere and animal suffering in general.